Zoom Into Me
by Jay Charles
Summary: Alastair Prince had barely finished grieving for his parents before being thrust into the challenge of a life time. Mostly OC/Lysander, NextGen.


**A/N: So this is a complete re-model of my somewhat fail of a story: Trials, Tournaments and Tribulations. Hope you enjoy!**

1. New Beginnings

10:50. Alastair ran through the barrier with his trolley and sisters in tow, looking slightly disheveled. The lack of recent Quidditch training left him at less than his usual peak. They were only late because Brianne had forgot to set the alarm the previous night... Again. For the third year in a row Alastair had found himself arriving at Platform 9¾ with ten minutes to spare. Merlin forbid he missed the train!

He pulled up next to the scarlet train and scooped up the youngest of the three siblings, Summer.

"I'm going away for a while again, okay? Only two years left, I promise. After that, no more. Be good for Brianne, hm?" He spoke slowly, Summer merely nodded. He kissed her forehead and her little arms swung wildly around the Alastair's neck.

"Bye, bye! I love you!" He just smiled at her response, lowering her to the platform floor and fixing her hair. It would never stay quite right, he mused, just like their mother. Brianne, on the other hand, was more of their father. She hugged him close and her chocolate eyes were already welling up.

"See you soon, darling." A single tear left her eye, rolling down her cheek. It wasn't fair, losing their parents and then having her only brother leave for a year. But Alastair knew Brianne was tough, if anyone could pull through it, she could. How else would they have survived the past few months?

10:55. Smoke billowed from the train's chimney, forming a myriad of patterns and shapes in the air before floating to nothingness in the station air.

"I should get on. I love you both, I'll see you in July." Alastair said, smiling reassuringly at his sisters before dragging his luggage onto the train.

He was one of the only people left on the platform and so the corridors were packed with multiple yelling students. Friends re-united for what for some would be the last time. For others it was the first time being on the train, and Alastair wasn't sure which one would be more nerve-racking.

He peered through the many carriages, attempting to find the one with his friends in, supposing they still wanted to see him. Alastair hadn't spoken to any of them during the whole holidays, his parent's death had left them in a bad way. No-one knew if he would return to Hogwarts that year, not even himself, until the last moment. If it wasn't for his parent's such high regard in the eyes of the Minister, Alastair doubted he and his family would have been granted such treatment that they were given.

As it happens, when your parents are the co-head Aurors, superior to even the great Harry Potter, you are given perhaps more bias opportunities in the eyes of magical law. But he wasn't complaining, it was that bias that enabled him his schooling. His chance to see his friends. His _family_. Alastair mentally corrected, these people were his family, he could see no other word for their bond.

And upon that thought he managed find said family, clustered in on of the last carriages on the train, quite typically. He slid the door open and shut again as quietly as possible. This would be awkward enough as it is, he didn't need to alert the train of his friends' possible hostility.

"Um, hi?" He said tentatively. He was greeted in return with a mess of red hair hugging him tight enough to crush his ribs.

"Rose," He smiled, hugging her back. Rose Weasley was the mother of their family. She was kind, caring, fierce.

"And just where have you been?!" She demanded.

"I'm sorry," Alastair's eyes started to water, "I didn't know if I was coming back..."

Rose looked as if she was about to yell at him again, but merely kissed his cheek, wiping away the tears that were forming. She looked knowingly into his eyes and nodded, _it's okay_, she was saying.

Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy were the next two people to hug Alastair. The pair, however unlikely, were completely inseparable and had been since first year. Both were craved for by the many flustered girls of Hogwarts, both rejected every girl ever to pay a compliment to them. Somehow it never stopped them coming.

"Hey," They said simultaneously, "You're in big touble, Prince." Albus finished.

"No letters, no owls, nothing. We were beginning to think we'd finally gotten rid of you." Scorpius grinned, winking at Alastair and hugging him close, Albus joined awkwardly.

"Well this has been sufficiently weird," Alastair chuckled, hugging guys always made him feel weird, like they'd assume he was turned on by them. The two retracted from the hug, leaving only two other people in the cabin.

Lorcan and Lysander Scamander were the twins of reknowned witch Luna Lovegood, editor-in-chief of _The Quibbler_. Lysander was Alastair's closest friend, the two were to each other as Albus and Scorpius were. So inseparable, it was considered a strange day to find them not joined at the hip.

"Ly?" Alastair tested, scared his voice would falter him. The rest of the compartment had gone quiet, listening intently to the conversation. Even Lorcan, loud mouth supreme, was silent.

"Lysander, please? It's not my fault, I sw-" Alastair was tackled to the floor, a wand held at his throat.

"You _dare_ try anything like that again and I swear to Merlin I'll blast your head off your shoulders." Lysander's sea-glass eyes were stormy with anger. Alastair gulped loudly.

"Um, duely noted... So, does that mean we're... Okay?"

Lysander gave up and guffawed at the boy he had pinned down.

"You know me too, well, Prince." He collapsed on top of Alastair, hugging him close. "I missed you."

Alastair smiled, his _family_. His wonderful family. "I missed you, too."


End file.
